Cardiovascular risk stratification in primary care patients with arterial hypertension: Results from the Swiss Hypertension Cohort Study (HccH).

AIMS: Few data are available on cardiovascular risk stratification in primary care patients treated for arterial hypertension. This study aimed at evaluating the cardiovascular risk profile of hypertensive patients included into the Swiss Hypertension Cohort Study according to the 2013 European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology Guidelines. METHODS: The Swiss Hypertension Cohort Study is a prospective, observational study conducted by the Centre for Primary Health Care of the University of Basel from 2006 to 2013. Patients with a diagnosis of arterial hypertension (office blood pressure measurement ≥140/90 mmHg) were enrolled. Office blood pressure measurement, cardiovascular risk factors, subclinical organ damage, diabetes mellitus, and established cardiovascular and renal disease were recorded at baseline and at an annual interval during routine consultations by general practitioners in Switzerland. RESULTS: In total, 1003 patients were eligible for analysis (55.6% male, mean age: 64.0 ± 13.2 years). At baseline, 78.5% of patients presented with either more than three additional cardiovascular risk factors, diabetes mellitus or subclinical organ damage, while 44.4% of patients had a high or very high overall cardiovascular risk. Cardiovascular risk factors and information about diabetes mellitus, established cardiovascular disease and renal disease were recorded mostly completely, whereas substantial gaps were revealed regarding the assessment of subclinical organ damage. CONCLUSION: The present findings demonstrate that the majority of primary care patients with arterial hypertension bear a substantial number of additional cardiovascular risk factors, subclinical and/or established organ damage. This emphasizes the need for continuous cardiovascular risk stratification and adequate treatment of arterial hypertension in Switzerland.

[Cardiovascular risk stratification and therapeutic implications in arterial hypertension]. / Kardiovaskuläre Risikostratifizierung bei arterieller Hypertonie und therapeutische Implikationen.

To improve the prevention of cardiovascular complications and events in hypertensive patients, it is of major importance to estimate the patient's individual risk for cardiovascular events. Antihypertensive treatment should not only be based on blood pressure values anymore, but also on the patient's comorbidities and risk profile. Risk stratification takes into account cardiovascular risk factors, diabetes, asymptomatic organ damage and established cardiovascular or renal disease. The most important markers for asymptomatic organ damage which should be searched for are microalbuminuria and LVH. Current guidelines emphasize the importance of the adaption and selection of treatment according to asymptomatic and established organ damage and provide assistance for treatment decisions. They focus also on the different non-pharmacological therapy options and lifestyle modifications. The goal of this article is to summarize the most important innovations and to point out the importance of simple tools for the implementation of cardiovascular risk stratification in hypertensive patients.

[Therapy-resistant arterial hypertension]. / Therapieresistente arterielle Hypertonie.

Therapy-resistant hypertension is a frequent finding in clinical practice. It is associated with a significantly increased risk for cardiovascular and renal events. Causes include but are not limited to erroneous blood pressure measurements, compliance issues, blood pressure increasing co-medication, and secondary hypertension. During the last years, several medical and interventional therapeutic approaches have been described and introduced into clinical practice. The goal of this paper is to summarize the clinically relevant diagnostic and therapeutic aspects related to therapy-resistant hypertension and to give an overview on the rational approach to this clinical problem.

[Hypertension in the elderly]. / Therapie der arteriellen Hypertonie beim betagten Menschen.

Arterial hypertension remains the most important risk factor for cardiovascular and renal diseases. In view of an increasing prevalence with older age and an increasingly aging population, the treatment of elderly patients with arterial hypertension will become increasingly important in daily practice. Arterial hypertension in the elderly differs in many aspects from arterial hypertension in younger patients. For example, isolated systolic hypertension is the predominant form of arterial hypertension in the elderly. In comparison to younger patients, treatment of hypertension in the elderly is less well investigated. However, available data suggest that lowering of blood pressure in the elderly and very elderly reduces the risk of heart failure, stroke, and even mortality. The best evidence for the treatment of hypertension in the elderly exists for diuretics and calcium antagonists. However, the primary choice of antihypertensive therapy should be guided by the presence of existing cardiovascular and/or renal comorbidities.

[Hypertensive urgency and emergency]. / Hypertensive Krise.

European and North-American guidelines for the diagnosis and therapy of arterial hypertension refer to hypertensive crisis as an acute and critical increase of blood pressure>180/120 mmHg. Presence of acute hypertensive target organ damage, such as stroke, myocardial infarction or heart failure, in this situation defines a "hypertensive emergency". In these patients, immediate lowering of blood pressure (about 25% within one to two hours) in an intensive care setting is mandatory to prevent further progression of target organ damage. In contrast to hypertensive emergencies, hypertensive urgencies are characterized by an acute and critical increase in blood pressure without signs or symptoms of acute hypertensive target organ damage. In these patients, blood pressure should be lowered within 24 to 48 hours in order to avoid hypertensive target organ damage. In general, hospitalization is not required, and oral antihypertensive therapy usually is sufficient. However, further and continuing outpatient care has to be ensured.